April, 2008

Jackson Park Attracts All Walks of Life

By Kerry Fleisher

If you travel down 17th Street it’s hard not to notice — and perhaps revel in —Jackson Park, a refreshingly green patch of land in an otherwise industrial pocket of Potrero Hill.  The park is one of the City’s most popular open spaces, according to Mike Cheetham, Recreation Director of Athletic Field Reservations.  And with popularity comes a tug-of-war for reservations, with a myriad of student and adult sports teams utilizing the space throughout the year, particularly in the late afternoons.  Live Oak, a private elementary school, and City cops and firefighters also use the field regularly during the day.
    A variety of schools and nonprofits pay a fee to use parts of the park for particular time periods, including Live Oak School, the San Francisco Unified School District, International Studies Academy, Mission Youth Soccer League, San Francisco Recreation and Park’s softball leagues, and adult frisbee teams.  When the field isn’t being leased, workers from nearby establishments swing by to play pick-up soccer games, and local residents often picnic in the park.
    San Francisco police and firefighters have been using the park for more than 30 years, according to Cheetham, and utilize the athletic fields three days a week in the mornings when no other sports leagues make a bid for them.   Cops and firefighters co-exist peacefully with Live Oak students, who use the field in the mornings and early afternoon.
    Last year San Francisco’s reservation system for public parks was placed online, and the Recreation and Parks Department is still ironing out technical kinks.  Live Oak, which has purchased a use permit for the past several years, has had difficulties registering with the new system this year.  Live Oak’s athletic department has yet to formally receive a permit this year, though they have verbally committed to paying for one once the City processes their request.
Though grateful to have access to such prominent open space, Live Oak Athletic Director Damian Canny notes that the school can’t use the baseball diamond, and the students wish they had more time on the field.   He also notes that frisbee players and soccer leagues can cause problems on the field, chewing up the grass with their cleats.  “The field can be in terrible condition,” said Canny. “The gardener does a good job considering it’s one man,” he added.
    Cheetham points out that there’s a shortage of gardeners citywide, an issue that will hopefully be assuaged with the recent passing of the Clean and Safe Neighborhood Parks Bond.  Comprehensive field maintenances are currently planned throughout the year.  However, it’s difficult to schedule closing of the oft-utilized field. “I have the task of dropping the ball on somebody during maintenance,” said Cheetham, pointing out that some group’s activities must be interrupted.
    The park is supposed to be locked at night; for late-night athletes there’s an adjacent gym that’s open to the public from 1 to 10 p.m.  Occasionally umpires involved with the Northern California Umpires Association train in the gym.
Despite the park’s popularity during the spring and the fall, Jackson Park typically has a respite from the stampede of athletes during off-peak summer hours, in part because Live Oak isn’t in session.  “During the summer it’s like a cemetery,” said Canny.